Restaurant dining is great in Disney World, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to eating on the go, you should make use of some of our Snack Pairing Ideas.

Epcot’s China Pavilion

Need some help getting started? Let’s take a look at something pretty unique!

Strawberry Red Bean Ice Cream and Waffles with Strawberry Jam

One of our favorite things to do when seeking out Snack Pairings is to combine flavors from different countries! But this works best if you can find flavors to match in neighboring pavilions, of course.

If you’re looking for something fruit-flavored but a little off the beaten path, head into the China Pavilion and try the Strawberry Red Bean Ice Cream at the Joy of Tea kiosk (sometimes it’s found at Lotus Blossom Cafe as well).

Today, we’re heading to the Far East — or rather, just past Norway and Mexico — for lunch at Epcot’s Nine Dragons!

Are you afraid to venture inside this eatery because you’ve heard less-than-stellar reviews? So were we.

Though we did a review way back when (not bad, not great), this blog is all about second chances; so back to Nine Dragons we went! Is it better, worse, or holding steady, you ask? Read on and we’ll explore together.

Atmosphere

When you walk into Nine Dragons, it actually feels kind of swanky since the (now long past) refurb. (Remember when it used to be all red shag carpet? No? Yeah, it probably wasn’t, but that’s what it felt like.)

The views through the front picture windows will remind you that you haven’t left Epcot behind. I love the view of the World Showcase Lagoon, and I wonder if this spot wouldn’t be bad for Illuminations viewing… anyone have experience?

View of World Showcase from Inside Nine Dragons

Seating and View of Outside

This is a beautiful restaurant, and we really enjoy the surroundings here. As I mentioned, there have been some renovations, as well as some changes to the menu, which suggest that you might want to give this spot another look if you haven’t eaten here lately.

Inside, there are three main dining areas separated by decorative wooden screens. The lovely, airy sunroom is [Read more…]